§x.] RELATION OF SEX TO CELLS. 67 



The fertile workers, which by their course of adding to 

 the drone stock may prove a terrible nuisance in a hive, 

 were ascertained by Huber to be always hatched in close 

 proximity to the queen cells, whence he conjectured that 

 they obtained by accident a portion of the royal jelly 

 designed for the rearing of princesses. Von Berlepsch 

 and Langstroth prefer the theory that such jelly was- 

 purposely given them, and the conversion of their own 

 cells into royal ones commenced, but that the intention 

 was afterwards abandoned, as it is known that bees often, 

 start more of such cells than they ultimately proceed 

 with. They are of only exceptional occurrence in hives in 

 a normal condition, but in a queenless stock they very 

 often appear, sometimes even in considerable numbers, 

 having been probably fostered with the jelly, but at too 

 late a period to convert them into queens. They usually 

 deposit their eggs correctly in drone cells, though drone- 

 breeding queens lay in those of workers and even in royal 

 cells — thus evincing a presence of the will though an 

 absence of the powerT To get rid of a fertile worker it 

 has been recommended by Mr. Rorl to " drive '' the bees 

 (Chap. v. § iv.) to an empty hive, and place this in a 

 near spot ; all will return to their old home except the 

 one to be got rid of, she having probably never flown 

 before, and therefore not knowing her way. 



§ X. RELATION OF SEX TO CELLg. 

 There remains the very interesting question of the 



